I just bought a old ford 8n tractor yesterday for $450..its pretty rough but i was able to get it started for about 10 secs today ...it needs a carb rebuild so gonna do that tommorow....plans are to fix all the problems with it to get it functioning at 100% and then when i've got my shop built i'll break it all down for a complete restoration......

my previous hobby was collecting/restoring antique boats and motors...but it looks like i've found another sickness lol I'm really digging these old tractors now..

Looks to be a VERY nice, complete tractor. Has 12V conversion already in place.
Even if you have to go through it end to end, it will come out nice.
It is still nice enough the expanded metal grill doesn't look too out of place.

laura..I wouldnt offer more than $1k for it...$1500 is the going price for a fully functioning 8N.....keep watching CL and dont be afraid to drive a couple hours to get a good deal...heres one in tipton that looks like a good deal http://indianapolis.craigslist.org/grd/2155190782.html

Can't go wrong with a 8n, best small farm tractor ever made in my opinion. Parts everywhere, with the best part availability of any tractor. I use mine all the time. Trying a pull behind AC combine with it this summer to harvest wheat.

I have a 1948 8N. Bought it about 6 years ago. For a machine that is 63 years old, it runs great, starts every time and does the heavy mowing and digging that at age 70 I can on longer do as easily as I did 20 years ago. I paid $3000.00 when I purchased it and have since spent about another $1500.00 in repairs.

I share the attachments such as the 5' mower, middle buster and post hole digger (works great for planting 5gal. shrubs and trees) with my son. Your local New Holland dealer can supply any and all parts needed to repair this fine tractor that Henry built...

Be very carefull buying an old ford. They can become an addiction. I have a 52 8N, 2 57 671s, an 841 and a 861. Will be getting 2 more 8ns from a buddy when I go home.
They are great tractors and easy to work on. Aside from a blown engin or a busted rear end, you can fix cheap and they are very forgiving as long as you use some commen sense and do your PMCS regularly

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Well my 8N did just fine pulling the AC 72 All Crop combine through wheat. The 8N's don't get enough credit for what actually can be done with one. This is the second time that my 8N has been able to do something that I doubted because of online research. I had no power problems, it worked good. I was hoping it would as I didn't want to be in the market for a new tractor. Here are some videos of it in action:

The old Fords were good tractors, they excelled because they had good gearing in their transmissions...only 4 gears but they were geared the right speed for just about anything you needed to do, from logging (1st gear) to running up the road with a rake going to the next hayfield.

They did well with a bucket since they were all hydraulic at the time, but steering was an issue, and of course 4wd was only available through an after market kit.

Yep they were a good tractor, but if you lost the 3 point hitch on them...well you just did not have a Ford Tractor without one, and they were hard to work on. The loss of our 3 point hitch and too many tries at getting it fixed, done the ole girl in and we bought a new Kubota to replace her.

Along with the dedicated 8N forum there are several other compact tractor forums that might have useful info.

Tractordata.com for tec info.

Mytractor.com
Tractorbynet.com
Green tractor forum (John Deere)

Classics like the old Fords etc are fun and useful. Maybe not as versatile as newer stuff with some of the newer hydraulic and pto implements available. But like a classic car, fun. And they can be found in very good shape and nicely restored for not a lot of money.

There is always something bigger and better, but for the price an 8N is hard to beat. Nothing is perfect. One break down on a larger tractor will cost more than an 8N. I have seen larger tractors for around the same price as an 8N, but they are hard to find parts for and when you do find the parts they are high dolllar. I can fix just about anything on my 8N for just a couple hundred dollars, and after years of use it has proven dependable and highly reliable. I worked on a huge farm for years, I have ran some of the largest tractors made. They are nice, but I don't have thousands of acres, so an 8N is just fine for me.

There is always something bigger and better, but for the price an 8N is hard to beat. Nothing is perfect. One break down on a larger tractor will cost more than an 8N. I have seen larger tractors for around the same price as an 8N, but they are hard to find parts for and when you do find the parts they are high dolllar. I can fix just about anything on my 8N for just a couple hundred dollars, and after years of use it has proven dependable and highly reliable. I worked on a huge farm for years, I have ran some of the largest tractors made. They are nice, but I don't have thousands of acres, so an 8N is just fine for me.

Well said. My dad , back in the 50's, farmed 120 acre southern Illinois hill farm . Corn wheat beans and alfalfa for the cows and was just fine.. All on a 8 n. I think tractors are just like boats, some just got to have something bigger cause they can not cause they need it.

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I spent a great deal of my childhood in the seat of one of those. In a good day, you could plow 10 acres with it.
Simple and reliable. I would suggest doing the 12 volt conversion. Really helps on cold weather starts and is very simple to do.